BL. KJELD, PROVOST - 11 JULY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JULY

Saints celebrated on the 11th of July

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BLESSED KJELD, PROVOST 

Blessed Kjeld (Ketillus or Exuperius) was a Danish noble, whose cult is confined to Denmark; born at Venning, near Randers, Denmark around 1105; he passed to his eternal reward at Viborg, September 27, 1150. After a pious youth Kjeld became a Canon Regular at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Viborg, at the urging of Bishop Eskil of Viborg (died 1132). 

HE BECAME PROVOST OF THE CATHEDRAL

On completing his studies he became Provost of the cathedral, but lost this office because his generosity was considered excessive. Following a trip to Rome (1148-49) he was reinstated by Eugene III. 

THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE WENDS

Blessed Kjeld had preached the expedition of 1147 against the Wends and was planning to devote himself to the Slavic missions when he died. 

NUMEROUS MIRACLES

Because numerous cures happened at his tomb - especially cure of blindness - the Danish Bishops, especially Archbishop Absalon of Lund, sought his canonisation from Clement III. The Pope allowed the Archbishop to establish Kjeld's cult in his own see on July 11, 1189. Kjeld is venerated especially in Jutland, and is the patron of a guild at Viborg and of a chapel in Viborg's cathedral.

(Information from Encyclopedia.com - 📷 The medieval Dominican Priory Church in Viborg)